Day 134 in 2020 (isolation days)

We live in a small, tightly-knit school system. Calvin met his best friend, a backyard neighbor, during the summer. When school started in the fall we were thrilled that the bus stop was just outside of our house. Did it make sense? No! We lived on a cul-de-sac of five houses, four of which were owned by elderly couples, and the fifth, ours, was owned by a family of homeschoolers. An apt place to land the bus stop, right? But every morning Calvin rose early, eager to meet his new friend at the bus stop the hang out before she boarded and went off to school and he ran on home. I didn't think twice about the situation until his friend's father, our neighbor and friend in his own right, mentioned in passing that he'd had to help the bus driver understand that Calvin was not supposed to get on the bus with all the other kids. Oops.

Fast forward a few years to when Calvin, who had become a regular visitor to the stop, finally stepped foot on board and to come home in the afternoons. That was two years ago, and the bus driver, the same dedicated, devoted, loving man who had known him as a visitor for all those five years, was certainly surprised. That is the joy and connectedness of our small community.

When the state went on lock-down, the bus drivers stopped seeing all their kids the same as all the teachers, and the sadness in the district has been palpable. Mostly palpable on facebook. Then yesterday we got a message from our bus driver that he had to drive the bus for maintenance purposes, so he intended to drive his usual route twice and that he hoped his usual riders would come out to say hi. I can tell you, when we stepped out the corner we could see families up and down the street waiting for him in their yards. It was a ringing endorsement, and a demonstration of the level of community that brought, and keeps, us here.

Day 51 in 2020

Receiving an award at his winter band concert!

Day 298 in 2019

Calvin's first marching band experience—the eighth graders joined the high school marching band on the field for half time tonight—an annual tradition for our public school band program on the last home game of the year. This is a big part of my own past. Marching band, or band in general, was a most beloved part of my high school experience, and I continued it on into college, where I found a solid group of accepting people to mesh with before classes even started.

I cannot say enough about the importance of my band experience to me, and that's why I find myself biting my tongue often these days, trying hard not to influence Calvin's decisions. But this was a special moment. Sitting in the stand eating crappy popcorn and stamping my feet to stay warm I couldn't help but give into the nostalgia washing over me. And he loved it—with or without a preconceived notion, I can't say, but regardless, he loved it. And I am so very glad.

Day 247 in 2019

First afternoon at public school. This will be Calvin's second year of afternoon classes ending in a bus ride home. Last year it was a great experience, here's hoping this year will be even better.

Day 165 in 2019

The last day of public school eighth grade. It was a great year. I was nervous in the beginning, what with public school taking up important homeschool time every single afternoon, and I can't pretend I wasn't terrified about him riding the bus for the first time in middle school (because I remember riding the bus in middle school...I remember it well). But in spite of all my fears the year went very well. He enjoyed his school classes, he loved riding the bus (!), and he made a few friends. Fitting all the homeschool classes AND the extracurriculars into the shorter home day was a little challenging, and we both fell down a few times trying to navigate that learning curve, but all said and done, the outcome was a good one. He's growing up. Maybe so am I.

And for comparison...the first day. The matching outfit was, believe it or not, total coincidence.